Color Code: 5 Must-Read Ombre Hair Tips From Ciara’s Hairstylist

The ombre hair trend seems to be the longest running hair situation… that we’ve all fell in love with. It’s clearly moved on from just being a celebrity must-have trend–there’s even at-home coloring kits available, just in case you missed that memo.

But we’re not so sure that’s a great idea. With the uncertainty hair loss and hair breakage brings, I’d rather trust the guidance of a top celebrity hairstylist.

Insert Cesar Ramirez, the scissors behind Ciara’s new hairstyle. We recently chatting and he dished on what not to do when going ombre, the prep work involved, and how to maintain those fresh color transitions. Check out his must-read tips on the ombre hair trend.

What is a must do when getting the look?

Make sure you go to a highly trained colorist for this process. Just because someone does color, doesn’t mean they’ve been trained to execute the latest trends or that they can do them well. The ombre look is more about multidimensional beautiful color, not just dark roots and light ends.

How do you get the right coloring transition?

The application is everything. The best way to achieve this is with a balayage technique, or individually freehand painted pieces. With this technique, you achieve a seamless color transition.

What not to do? What is the big mistake when getting this trend?

I know it’s tempting to go DIY on this one, but the best advice I can give is to NOT do it yourself. Beyond that, if your base color, the roots area, is almost black, lighten the base to brown for a softer overall look.

How to maintain it?

The best part of a balayage ombré is that it looks better as it grows out, so you don’t have to worry about touching it up.

How often should one retouch it to maintain it?

Again it looks better as it grows, so really judge it to your taste, and keep a regular schedule with your colorist. The ombré is a really trendy look. It’s come and gone in many iterations. Right now, it’s all about the sun-kissed balayage.

And just because we adore the ombre trends, here’s 10 celebrities who are werking the *bleep* out of it! Check out the gallery below.